Boxing: This time, Gatti and Ward in the same corner

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - Sometimes life really does imitate art.

In some ways, when he makes his debut as the trainer of onetime archrival Arturo Gatti for Gatti's HBO-televised welterweight bout with Alfonso Gomez on Saturday night in Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, "Irish" Micky Ward will be playing the role of Apollo Creed in "Rocky III."

"You know, I never really thought of it like that, but I guess that's sort of what it is," Ward said last week from Pompano Beach, Fla., where he and Gatti were taking their now-joined-at-the-hip relationship to another level in their first training camp together.

Remember how it was for Creed and Rocky Balboa in the first two installments of the six-film "Rocky" franchise? The two men pounded on each other for 30 grueling rounds and, in the process, forged a deep mutual respect. Then, after Rocky's trainer, Mickey, died and The Rock took a thumping from Clubber Lang, Creed volunteered to take over as his former adversary's chief second.

Remember how it was for Ward and Gatti? The two men pounded on each other for 30 grueling rounds (three 10-rounders instead of two 15-rounders) and in the process forged a deep mutual respect. Then, after Gatti and trainer Buddy McGirt split following Gatti's ninth-round stoppage at the hands of Carlos Baldomir, Ward was offered and accepted a role that seems ripped from the pages of some movie script.

In fact, Ward's blue-collar boxing life already is being prepared for a Hollywood homage. The preliminary groundwork has been laid for a flick in which Ward would be played by Matt Damon and his drug-addicted half-brother-trainer, Dick Eklund, would be played by Mark Wahlberg.

"I've been dying to do a boxing movie my whole career," said Wahlberg, whom Eagles fans will remember for his role as Vince Papale in 2006's "Invincible." "I've been close to doing two, and they kind of fell apart. But this is something I'm very excited about."

So is Ward, 41, who can't believe all this is happening at a time when his days in the ring (he retired after losing the rubber match with Gatti on June 7, 2003) should have been receding in most people's memories.

Whether he was wearing a hard hat or padded gloves, this is a guy who punched in and always gave everything he had.

"It's going to be interesting," Ward said of the movie about the good and not-so-good times he shared with Eklund. "Hopefully, I'll be a technical adviser or something like that. Mark Wahlberg actually came down to Florida and visited with me and Arturo. We went out to eat a few nights. It was kind of neat."

Not that rubbing elbows with celebrities of the silver screen could serve to pump up an ego that remains surprisingly deflated. Yeah, Ward took his share of lumps as a boxer, but he never got a swelled head.

"I stood humble," Ward said. "I still am. I'm just myself, a normal guy. If you're a nice person, I believe good things happen for you. God is looking after me, I guess."

Ward and Gatti were not acquainted with each other, other than by reputation, when they signed for their first bout, which took place on May 18, 2002, at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. Ward won by majority decision in an epic slugfest.

"It was a great, great fight, a fight for the ages," Kery Davis, senior vice president of HBO Sports, gushed afterward. "You can never anticipate the kind of drama we got tonight. The ninth round is the best I've ever seen in boxing. Both guys gave everything they had, then found a way to give some more."

In that incredible ninth round, Ward knocked Gatti down with his signature shot, a left hook to the ribs. Gatti arose and fought back. When the round had ended, punch statistics compiled by CompuBox revealed that Ward had landed 44 of 83, 39 of which were power shots, and Gatti connected on 42 of 75, all power shots.

Gatti would go on to win the two rematches, in wars of attrition that were almost as action-packed as the inaugural. At the final bell in all three instances, the weary combatants hugged one another.

"We became friends," Ward noted. "Because we had so much respect for each other as fighters, maybe that's not surprising.

"After that, we stayed in touch. Arturo would call me from time to time. I'd call him from time to time. We played golf now and then. When Arturo asked me if I'd walk him out to the ring, I said, 'Sure, I'd love to.' His manager, Pat Lynch, told me I'd be with Arturo for the remainder of his career."

And in an even more prominent role than he might have imagined after Gatti and McGirt had a falling-out.

"It's none of my business," Ward said when asked if he knew what had led to Gatti and McGirt parting ways. "I don't ask and Arturo doesn't tell. Whatever happened, happened."

So Gatti, 35, was in the market for a new trainer and, well, there was always a suspicion that he and Ward were in it for the long haul.

"Arturo's friend, Mark DeVincintis, ran in the Boston Marathon this year," Ward recalled. "Me and my friend, Rick Dupree, we ran alongside him the last 91/2 or 10 miles. After the race, Mark was telling us how Arturo and Buddy weren't together anymore and that Arturo was looking for a new guy. He said, 'Would you be interested?' I said, 'Definitely.' I thought he was joking around."

It was no joke. DeVincintis contacted Lynch, who in turn contacted Ward with the job offer.

"So here we are," Ward said.

Now all that remains to be seen is whether Gatti (40-8, 31 KOs), who hasn't fought since his pummeling by Baldomir on July 22, 2006, has been rejuvenated by the time off or merely added a coating of ring rust.

Even at something less than his best, Gatti figures to be too much for Gomez (16-3-2, seven KOs). If Gatti wins, he tentatively is scheduled to take on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (32-0-1, 25 KOs), son of the Mexican legend, on Nov. 10 in Boardwalk Hall.

But Ward said for him to stay on, he wants to see more of the prime Gatti he faced and less of the spent shell he appeared to be against Baldomir.

"Arturo has been looking impressive in camp," Ward said. "But in the fight, it could be totally different.

"Arturo will know himself when it's time to quit. But if he doesn't know, I will tell him if I think he's diminishing. That's what a trainer is supposed to do. That's what a friend is supposed to do."